Jalapeño Poppers for the Fainthearted

Those of you who like the idea of jalapeño poppers, but can’t take the heat, these are for you. In order to remove the heat from jalapeños, all you need to do is soak them in cold water, the longer you do so, the less heat you will have. I wanted my poppers to have no heat whatsoever, so that the delicious flavor of the jalapeño could come through. The beauty of this is that all of the prep work can be done ahead of time. If you have never been able to eat jalapeño poppers before, you need this recipe.

Jalapeño Poppers for the Fainthearted

 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

¼ c. Duke's mayonnaise

1 1-oz. (3 T.) pkg. Ranch Salad Dressing Mix

1½ t. garlic powder

10 Melissa’s jalapeno peppers

1 lb. thin sliced bacon, cut in half

 A day ahead of time place the jalapeños in a medium-size bowl of water and place it in the fridge. The morning of the day that you plan to make these, put on kitchen gloves, cut them in half, and remove the ribs and seeds. Put them back into the bowl, cover them with fresh water, and put them back into the refrigerator for at least three more hours. An hour before assembly, remove them from the bowl and place them cut side down on a double paper towel-lined plate and allow them to dry.

 Preheat an oven to 400°F.

 With a hand-held mixer, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, and garlic powder in a medium bowl until evenly blended.

 Divide mixture between jalapeño halves. (I like to pipe the cheese into them because I find it quicker and easier). Wrap with half a bacon strip, and secure with a toothpick. Arrange the wrapped jalapeno halves onto a broiler pan.

 Bake until the bacon is no longer pink and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.

 

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Easy Cheddar Beer Spread

We’re getting into the season of cocktails on the patio and lemonade on the deck.  Along with these refreshing potables one must have snacks!  This tasty little spread is perfect for such an occasion.  It’s easy to do – everything is just dumped into a bowl and beaten together – and is most flavorful when made the day prior to usage.  Turn it out into a pretty bowl and keep it in the fridge so it’s ready when you are.  Then relax, have a cocktail, and enjoy.

Easy Cheddar Beer Spread

2 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature

1 8-ounce package (2 cups) shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1packet Ranch Dressing Mix

1/2 can beer

6 scallions, thinly diced

Put everything into the work bowl of a stand mixer, and blend until smooth.  Refrigerate overnight.  Serve.

This post is linked to:

What's Cooking Wednesday

Foodie Friday

Looking for more dip and spread ideas?  This book is full of them and can be a real life saver.

Scotch Eggs

While the London department store Fortnum & Mason lays claim to originating the Scotch egg in 1738, I had my first one at an Irish pub in Dublin back in the summer of 1999; I have loved them ever since.  Fortunately a local Scottish restaurant keeps them on their permanent menu, so I can get a quick fix whenever the crave hits, but it's cheaper and more convenient to make them at home.  Plus, it's FUN, and they never fail to be a hit.


These can be served warm or at room temperature, so don't worry about not being to make a lot of them all at once, you don't want to crowd the pan or you'll run the risk of them knocking into each other and pulling off some of the coating.  You can keep them warm in the oven on a low setting, if desired, but placed on a rack to drain after frying will suffice.  Also, if you don't have (or don't want) a deep fryer, don't let that deter you from making these.  A heavy, deep pan will work just fine.


SCOTCH EGGS

1 1/4 pounds bulk sausage, variety of your choice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon rubbed, dried sage

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper

4 hard-boiled large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, beaten

1 cup plain bread crumbs

Vegetable oil for deep-frying the eggs

Combine the first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Remove mixture from bowl and divide into four equal portions; flatten each portion into a thin round. Wrap each hard-boiled egg to cover in one of the sausage rounds, pressing carefully to seal completely.  Dredge the sausage-coated eggs in the flour, then dip them into the beaten egg.  Allow the excess egg to drip off and then carefully roll in the bread crumbs, coating well.  Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 350°F.   Carefully lower the eggs into the hot oil and fry 4-5 minutes until the sausage is thoroughly cooked, turn turning once during the cooking.  Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil to drain on a paper towel. Serve with a spicy mustard sauce.

If recipes for pub food interest you, I recommend this book.  It's fun to read and is full of easy-to-prepare recipes for dishes like Scotch Rabbit, Cock-a-Leekie, oatmeal cookies, Scottish shortbread, and many others.

This is linked to Foodie Friday.